The Exile
The Exile Chapter One- The Blight of Sotath Shal Upon the world of Vranath Su, a vast desert rich in minerals precious to known verse, here thrived the empire of Sunak. Upon the morning an Ataien vessel ascended and the world would forever change.The Sunak came to praise the great beings whom declared themselves host of the High-spirit. Behold, the elder architect Sotath Shal has come to bring the blessing of the heaven to the inhabitants of Vranath Su, at least they would presume. Sotath, along with his three Nastarien sentinels Srai, Vhul, and Qrol brought with them the wisdom of advanced weapons and technology which would entice the kingdoms, gaining their loyalty in absolute. To the empires of Vranath Su’s astonishment, Sotath preached against the high spirit of Aktna and cursed the counsel of the elders. A giant upon their world, Sotath’s Ataien armor and serpent like features beguiled the great empire of Sunak. So forth the kings and councilmen groveled before Sotath, transmuting the empire. Conscripted slaves, the mass enlisted freely in service of Sotath’s Shal. The valuable minerals of Vranath Su allowed for the construction of the great beacon, a conduit between the realm of Sovael and the dark dwelling of Soyumoth, the deceiver of celestial order. Sotath called upon the most prestigious of architects and engineers. The acolytes of Sotath would force the laborers to work until their hands bled. Chapter Two -Resurrecting the Blood Gate The construct was a marvel to behold, an insidious monument upon the Capitol city of Emen Yer. As instructed, the circular gate was carved in the form of a serpent, referred to by the locals as the “dragon gate”. Believing the gate was a monument, a gift from the heavens, the workers were oblivious the nefarious intentions of Sotath Shall. Many gates were constructed throughout the Sunak Empire, each one linking one another. On a dark evening, during the festive gathering of the engineer's and inhabitants in mines of Murun Yer, the event was overtaken by the soldiers of the Sunak empire. Led by the three misanthropic Sentinels Srai, Vhuk, and Qrol; they bared the entrance of the mines. Anxiety grew among those trapped and panic ensured. Above the mine, a war vessel shot a explosive beam into the soil collapsing the mine, burying the inhabitants alive. Scream flooded the air for a day but by dusk the screams were no more. Sotath constructed the central serpent gate to metabolize the organic material of mortals, using their essence as a source of power for the gate. In time, with enough mortal blood, the gate would be able to open the portals to Dergoth, the prison of Soyumoth and herald forth his return. (A cover up took place by the social Arbitrators, that the mine, due to unforeseen circumstance collapsed). Chapter Three-The Epic of Darmak Ildna Of the Sunak soldiers whom carried out the orders of Sotath’s aphotic plans, Darmak Ildna, a commandeer of the Red Legion could not justify what his eyes had witnessed. The screams of the mine haunted him. As the Shadow of Sotath Shal arrived in the skies of Vranath Su, he stood witness to the corruption that ensued. Darmak stood witness as the fallen elder proclaimed the hierarchy of heaven to be corrupt. Sotath convinced the kings and the inhabitants of Vranath Su to swear allegiance to, who he referred to as the coming god of truth. Darmak paid tribute to the temples of Aku Ava, the temple of the high-spirit Aea. He shared in their belief that Sotath Shal did not come to Vranth Su in benevolence. The kings became puppets for the rebellious sentinels. People began to turn on the temples of Aea. Mobs ravaged the holy grounds and killed the priest. Darmak, in his wisdom knew well that Sotath had a sinister reason to come to Vranath Su. He would return to his home with his wife, son and daughter to meditate on what he saw. Darmak felt grave emotion which over-took his senses That night, during Darmak’s meditations Tael Udwafal, the voice of Aknta sent an Okvier, a spirit oracle named Sen to ask favor of Darmak. Being seen as a blue orb of light, the Okvier can move unseen to mortal eyes. Long has the Elysian scouts been recovering information on Sotath. Sen hovered upon Darmak and explained that Sotath’s plan was elusive to the eyes of heaven and that a mortal would not be expected in gaining insight to his plans. When enough information was gathered, they would return with a armada to take Sotath Shal. Darmak, inspired by the challenge, began to document his findings. He would attend the meetings of the kings by volunteering protective services of the nobles. He would return by night fall to the Sen and his wife to express his findings. Night after night, he recorded the habits and conversations between the kings and the elder Sotath Shal. Darmak’s wife, Eyda, being ever-so humble advised and supported Darmak in his appointed journey. At night, Eyda would speak with her counselor and best friend Daasha whom worked in the grand council chambers of Emen Yer as an advisor to the nobility of the Sunak. In secrecy, Eyda along with Daasha began to rally others of importance against the falsifier Sotath and the rulers of Sunak. One night during his patrol, Darmak crept along the coordiors to the hall of kings. He was spying in on a conference between Sotath and his three Nastarian sentinels when he overheard them speak about finding the artifact that bound the deceiver Soyumoth to his dark welling during the Great War of Ihan Seiyomat”. One Nastarien sentinel spoke to the status of the gates positioned through our Vranath Su and using them to open the portals to Soyumoth’s prison. It was at that moment, clarity overtook Darmak’s rational. He fled from the capitol fortress to report to the Okvier, Sen. As he walked away, Srai, an Nastarien Sentinel uncloaked from the shadows. Disguised as a statue, among the row of monuments Srai smirked as he scoured off to inform his master Sotath Shal. Chapter Four- Crucible of Titans Srai returned to the hall of king where Sotath as well as the other two demonic sentinels, Vhul and Qrol sat in counsel to reveal the spy Darmak. Sotath, ever so calmly spoke “what are we to do with a mortal who’s eyes and ears are blessed by Aknta himself. We cannot simply kill this dungir for his spirit will flee with all the secrets that his tongue could not re-create”. Then he turned to the three and exclaimed “If the other elders find truth in Darmak’s words, we will only know the darkness of the lost realm of Xuul, banished for eternity. We must silence the mortal and then we must portray him as an agent of opposition. But by what method can you erase a mortal without killing it”? Srai then spoke “rip the strings of cosmos for it is between the realms that the eyes of heaven cannot see. It is in remote sinews of the Nastar, in the deserts where the souls lost dwell he can remain”. Vhul then whispers to Sotath “do not let his soul depart, a stone I have, an artifact. Bind it to his bones, a life eternal he will have pain infinite to not feel deaths remorse”. Qrol gleamed his eyes upon the three and spoke “Physical pain will diminish, kill his wife and seed. Let him know what we have done. He will walk the desert until the end of time. His skin will be stripped from his bones, his eyes and his tongue from his face and he will carry the cursed artifact until his spirit breaks into pieces”. This is the crucible of titans! So forth, the nefarious plan was in motion. Being led by the three Nastarien specters, Sunak soldiers surrounded Darmak’s dwelling. Stabbing and beating him, they bound his hands and feet. To Darmak and Eyda’s disbelief Daasha, Eyda’s best friend had ratted Darmak out. Being a seer, she was one of the first inhabitants to be recruited under Sotath’s rule. She stood at the entrance as the soldiers overtook the house. Darmak was forced to look on as his family, wife and two children slain. A portal opened before Darmak and before him and he was dragged in. In the realm between realms, the eternal desert of the Nastar they ripped his flesh, marked him with the artifact cursed, they tore out his eyes and his tongue out. In the Nastar, he would walk the desert never knowing death. Three demons, clones of Srai, Vhul, and Qrol would walk behind him cursing him, mocking him; they would stab him, reciting the methods of murdering his family. Upon the desert, illuminated by the various echoes of dimensions and nebula's which loomed in the Nastarian sky, Darmak collapsed into the sand. Grief overtook him. Ever so quietly, hovering above Darmak was the light of Aktna himself. The Atai, the guardians of the the higher dimension surrounded Darmak’s body . Sotath in his arrogance never expected an Okvier. Sen returned to the Ihan Seiyomat, the realm of the Celestial Architects seeking help. The Avatar of the high-spirit Aea, Aktna himself gathered his elite sentinels to recover Darmak. Chapter Five- Resurgence The light of Aknta fills Darmak’s broken body. Darmaks flesh, his eyes, his tongue, his feet, all are restored. Being ever so humble, even in his unspeakable torment he begged Aktna for his forgiveness. Aktna spoke through the commanding sentinel “no, it is we who did not get to you in time. We lost you. The demons hid you from our eyes but the Okvier spirit was watching. Your family has passed from the physical world, but I have them in a special place. It is their they wait for you, it is their you will never feel this pain. We are going to destroy Vranth Su as the wretched has consumed the planet and you were the last remnant of benevolence”. Darmak spoke ever so hastily “Great spirit Aktna, allow me to be the tempest, the destroyer incarnate. I was exiled, my name stricken from me, my flesh torn from me, my wife, son, and daughter murdered in front of me, allow me to carry the seed of reprisal”. Aktna opened Darmak’s chest and placed what he called “a gift for Sotath”. It was then Darmak’s spirit became ever so focused. He cast down his name and became the exile. Chapter Six-Witch of Dark Spire Darmak’s name was stricken from his memory. Along with the Okvier oracle Sen, the exile began his Journey to the grand city of Emen Yer. Stepping the from the portal on the outskirts of the capitol, he emerged in the decrepit forest of Vracul, the home of the dark spire. As Darmak walked along the winding roads memories flooded his very being, it anchored him to the ground, it cut him as a sharp blade into his gut. Daasha, the seer of the Capitol and was often called the witch of dark spire. She was his wife;s most trusted friend. For money, for power, it did not matter to Darmak; only death was now his name.. Darmak pursued the ancient roads, through the dead forest of Vracul he came upon the dark spire. At the entrance, Darmak was met by a iron golem. The golem standing as a giant was no match for Darmaks wrath and his spear pierced the core of the giant. As he climbed the winding stairs he could hear her muttering chants as Daasha sat in deep trance. Ever so quietly Darmak walked along the contour of the walls. His memories stunned him, rooting him to the floor. In his hesitation, she awoke from her trance. Daasha in a desperate fit of rage attacked Darmak with a projectile pistol. Taking refuge behind her stone architecture, Darmak’s tactic was to make her lose sight of him momentarily. Suddenly, using his spear in a circular trajectory, he leaped from the walls striking her behind the head, knocking Daasha to the floor. She knew her defeat as she sat curled on the floor. In that moment, her morality was no longer displaced as she realized the atrocity she had done. Darmak himself felt a moment of pity for Daasha but death was certain for her. Darmak ever so slowly walked behind Daasha. A tear began to roll from her cheek as she quietly spoke “I am sorry Darmak”. Darmak putting the blade to her throat he sincerely whispered “I am sorry as well”. She turned her head to look upon Darmak as they both knew what was come. Darmak cut her throat and fled from the spire. The witch of dark spire was slain but his true prize was still before him. Darmak eyes were now fixed upon the Emen Yer, the capital of Vranath Su. Chapter Seven- The Exile From afar, the Sunak soldiers could see a figure coming towards them from the depths of the desert. As the exile approached the Gates of capitol he began to run ever so swiftly. The guards demanded him to stop, when they steadied their weapons upon him the energy of Aktna flooded the towers. Soldiers began to amass in front of the palace. They began their assault against the exile to no avail. The exile’s power consumes the soldiers. Accompanying the exile was the Okvier, the spirit loomed behind the exile aiding in his vengeful assault. The Exile made his way to the grand chambers where Sotath & the three Nastarian Sentinels where waiting. Sotath was speechless as he stood stunned to see the exile again. The exile spoke softly “Aktna asked me to bring you a gift”. Sotath in a grand display of panic and anger slammed his blade into the exiles chest, pinning hip to the roof of the chambers. It was during this time the three vile sentinels fled from the palace. Sotath then spoke with great demand “why would Aktna give a weak mortal, a dungir a gift”? Being that Sotath’s blade was in the chest of the exile, the light emanated ever so brightly. The exile then grabbed the sinews of his chest ripping his ribs apart to reveal the light of Aktna. As it illuminated brighter and brighter the blue flame of reprisal unveiled itself. A fire burst from the exile’s chest consuming the entire planet killing Sotath Shal, erasing the empire of Vranth Su. Chapter Eight- Planetary Cenotaph The fire of the exiles reprisal shattered the sphere of the planet. A grand explosion rendered Vranath Su fragmented across the solar system. Adrift was the Exile’s body, hovering in the ruins of the former planet. His skin was reforming, his bones were growing, and then he became conscious. The artifact, cursed to him by the nefarious servants of Sotath Shal now is a gift of immortality. Floating in the void of space, the exile began account the atrocities and the desolation of his own planet. Upon the exile, his Okvier companion Sen hovered above him. Another light bound in a nebulous cloud began to form in front of the Darmak. The voice of Tael Udwafal, the voice of Aktna in this dimension came upon the exile and spoke, “blessed are you for if you choose, I will resurrect your family, remade to live out your lives.” The lamenting Darmak spoke “blessed I truly am but I feel a burden, a responsibility deeper than my own desire. I must go and lend my cursed body to stamping out injustice” The light of Aktna faded leaving Darmak adrift the indefinite void. Sen offered to stay as a guide to Darmak. As a gift, Sen merged upon Darmak, taking his spirit to speak to his wife and children who was granted a new life among the Ataien palace of Ihan Seiyomat, the realm of the Celestial Architects.. Darmak asked his wife to forgive him as he felt his mission was not over. He was bound to the eternal artifact, never knowing death. Eyda smiled and as she kissed Darmak he awoke still adrift in space. Upon Darmak, a cargo ship began pulling him in from the void of space. Along with his companion Sen, Darmak now begins a new journey, one that has no limits and reprisal was his mission. He would become the ghost of wars and the hero of epics to come.